Winding machine



l 541,660 l f" of MEAN l July 28, 1925.

WINDIVNG MACHINE Filed oct. 1, 1924 y' 2 sheets-shut 2 INVENTORATTQBNEYS Patented July 28, 1925.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN' O. lVICKEAN, 0F WEST'IELD, IVASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNORTO FOSTER`MACHINE COFIPANY, 0F WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OEMASSACHUSETTS.

WINDING MACHINE.

Application filed AOctober 1, 1924. Serial No.- 740,979.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. McKnAN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of lestield, in the county of Hamp-y den and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VindingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in windingmachines whereby floor spaceis saved and the number of angles for theyarn to turn may be materially reduced between the supply spool and thewindingA head, thereby lessening the tension on the yarn andy obviatingits breakage toA a greater extent than heretofore; such improvementsincluding `a common supply spool arranged vertically at one end of thewinding machine as distinguished from supply spools arrangedhorizontally upon both sides of the machine; means such as spreadersbeing provided for dividing the yarn strands and leading them to theopposite sides of they machine. y y

A further object is to provide both automatic and manually operatedbrakes for the supply spool, the automatic brake serving to prevent thespool from running ahead when the machine is in operation and themanually operated brake serving Yto prevent the yarnY strands fromsagging as the machine is being stopped.

A further Vobject is to provide a novel bearing support for the supplyspool, constructed to permit the ready'placement and removal of thespool, said bearing support also carrying the automatic and manuallyoperated brakes for the spool.

A still further object is to provide novel, manually operated means suchas a belt shifting lever for gradually starting the winding, step bystep, to insure easy starting and to prevent jerks on the yarn tendingto break the same, the stop for the intermediate position of thestarting lever being adjustable to obtain the best results.

A still further object is to provide a telltale on the winding shaft forindicating the speed ofthe shaft so that when the shaft reaches apredetermined speed the starting lever may be moved from itsintermediate position to its next position to bring the windingmechanism up to its full speed.

. A practical embodiment of my invention 1s represented in theaccompanying draw ings, in which n Fig. l represents in side elevationso much ofa winding machine as will give a clear understanding of myimprovements applied thereto. i

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view, showing the manually operatedbrake ap plied tothe supply spool.

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary view, showing the top bearingl for theyarn supply spool.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary view, showing the base bearing for theyarnsupply spool.v I I Fig. 5 represents the winding machine in top planwiththe manually operated starting lever shown in full lines in theposition it assumes when the machine is idle; in dotted lines theintermediate positionv it assumes when the machine is being started,

and in dot and dash lines the position it assumes when the machine isinfull running position. Q

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary view, showing rthe bearing support forthe supply spool with the partsmoved to the po- M sitions they assume topermit the placement or removal of the supply'spool.

Fig. 7 represents aV horizontal section taken through the yarn supplyspool and its bearing support at the automatic brake.

Fig. 8 represents a detail section, on an enlarged scale, taken in theplane of the line Ville-VIII of lFig. 5, illustrating the means forkadjusting the position of the intermediate `step in the movementstarting lever. i

Fig. 9 vrepresents adetail front view of the tell-tale. i

The winding machine frame isdenoted by l and the `winding heads onopposite sides of the machine by EZ. f The'drive for the winding machineincludes the drive shaft 3, provided with the fast and loose pulleys 4and 5. vThe driving belvti leads from any suitable source of power, not'shown herein. The drive shaft 3 is connected to the winding shaft v"iof the y through the usual intermediate belt and The winding shaft 7-the machine for visually indicating to the operator the rotative speedof the winding shaft.

The means which I have shown for supplying yarn to the winding machinecomprises a vertically arranged supply spool 9 Whiclris removablypositioned upon the base 10 of a suitable bearing support, located atone end o1 the machine. This bearing support is provided with a basebearing 11 for the lower end of the supply spool shaft 12, the saidshaft being provided with a spool core block 13 and bearing block 14.rlhe base 10 of the bearing support is provided with an uprightcomprising a lower member 15 and an upper member 16. A swinging to-pbearing mechanism for the supply spool comprises a fixed collar 17,adjustably secured alongl the member 16 by the set screw 18, and avertically movable laterallj7 swinging arm 19 which is provided with atop bearing 20. The upper end of the supply spool shaft 12 is providedwith the core block 21 and bearing block 22, the bearing block servvingto receive the top bearing 2O of the swinging arm 19. The collar 17'isprovided with a recess 23 for receiving the arm 19 and holding it in itsoperative position.

rThe automatic brake mechanism for preventing the supply spool fromrunning ahead when the machine is in operation is constructed, arrangedand operated as follows A collar 24 is adjustably positioned by the setscrew 25 on the upper member 16 of the upright, from which collarprojects an arm 26 carrying a pulley 27. The brake lever comprises acollar 28 rotatablymounted on the Lipper member 16, from which collarprojects in one direction an arm 2 9 carrying a brake shoe 30 and inanother direction anarm 31, from which leads a flexible cony nection 32over the pulley 27, which flexible connection is provided with a weight33, tending tohold the brake shoe 30 against the side of the supplyspool with the rcquired amount of friction.

The manually operated brake Vmanipulated to prevent the yarn strandsfrom sagging between the supply spool and the winding heads when themachineris stopping, is constructed, arranged and operated as follows:

A collar 34 is adjustably secured by a set screw 35 to the upper member16 of the upright, whichcollar forms a support for a collar 36, fromwhich projects a laterally swinging resilient arm 37, carrying a brakeshoe 38V and a handle 39. This brake shoe 38 is normally held lby thearm 37 a short distance above the upper end' of the supply spool butwhen the machine is'being stopped', the operator can grasp the handle 39and depress the arm 37 to bring the brake shoe 38 into frictionalcontact with the upper end of the said spool, to keep the proper tensionthereon.

To remove the supply spool, the flexible connection 32 of the automaticbrake mechanism may be unshipped from the pulley 27 and the lever swungaround in position out of the way of! the spool. rlhe manuallyoperated'brake arm 37 may also be swung laterally out of the way of thespool. rllhe top bearing arm 19 may then be raised and swung laterallyout of the way, thus giving ample room for the removal of the supplyspool, the parts remaining in this position until the placing of anothersupply spool when the parts may be returned to their operativepositions.

The means which I have shown for dividing the yarn strands and leadingthem to the opposite sides of the machine is herein shown as comprisingspreaders 40, projecting latm erally from one end of the machine frame,which spreaders are provided with eyes 41 which not only serve toseparate the yarn strands into groups as they lead off from the supplyspool but also serving to separate the individual strands and lead themto their respective winding heads 2. lt will be seen that because of thevertical arrangement of the supply spool these spreaders serve to leadthe yarn strands to the winding heads with aiminimum number' of turns,thereby materially reducing the tension on the yarn strands andobviating to a very great extent the liability of the strands to break.

A manually operated means is provided for starting the Winding graduallyand thus preventing the jerks on the yarn, which means is constructed,arranged and'operated as follows:

A loop 42 of a beltshifter embraces` the driving belt 6, from which loopleads a belt shifter-rod 43 lengthwise of the machine to the endadjacent the yarn supply spool. The lever for operating the belt shifteris denoted at 44, which lever is pivoted on a bracket 45 projecting fromthe end of the winding machine frame, the short arm 46 of which lever isconnected to the belt shifter rod 43 and the long arm 47 of which leverextends to a position in proximity to the yarn supply spool so that asingle operator may control the starting and stopping of the machine aswell as apply the manually operated brake for thesupply spool.A iAdjustablemeans are provided for causing` the belt shifting or Astartinglever to be moved in successive steps so that the winding operation willbe started gradually and thereby eliminate unduestrain on the yarn,which means is constructed as follows:

An arm 48 projects laterally from the bracket 4'5, which arm isLprovided with an intermediate stop block 49, adjustable toward and awayfrom the bracket 45 by an adjusting screw 50, bolts 51 passing throughEll ' y starting lever.

Watch the tell-tale 8 and When the Winding operationhas gradually comeup to the predetermined speed, the Varm 47 of theV starting lever maybeslightly raised and its movement completed along the top of the block 49to its full running position. The arm i8 is provided With uprisingabu'tments 53, 54, for limiting the movement of the From the above vthat I have provided certain improvements in Winding machines wherebythe Winding of the yarn is materially facilitated and the controlthereof is better regulated, and

at the same time a material amount of ioory space is saved.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in theconstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts Withoutdeparting invention; hence, I

do not intend' to `be limited to the particular embodiment herein shownand described, but

What I claim is 1. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads,and a common vertically disposed spool containing a plurality o f -yarnstrands adapted to be supplied to individual winding heads. v

2. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads, and acommon'vertically disposed spool located at one en d of the machine,containing aplurality of yarn strands adapted to be supplied toindividual Winding heads.

3. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads located alongopposite sides of the machine, -a common vertically disposed spool,containing a plurality of yarn strands adapted to be supplied toindividual Winding heads, and means for dividing the yarn strands andleading them to their respective Winding heads. v

4. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads located alongopposite sides of the machine, a common vertically disposed spoollocated at one end of the machine, containing a plurality of yarnstrands adapted to be supplied to individual Winding heads, and meansfor dividing the yarn strands and leading them to their respectivWinding heads. Y

5. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads located alongVopposite sides of the machine, a common vertically disposed spoollocated at one end of the madescription it will be seen from the spiritand scope of myA chine, containing a plurality ofyarn strands adapted tobe supplied to individual Wind# ing heads, and means for dividingtheyain strands into groups, leading them to the opposite sides ofthemachine, separating the strands and leading themto their respectiveWinding heads.

6. In a Winding machine, kaplnrality of Winding heads locatedalong'opposite `sides ofthe machinefa common vertically dislposed spoollocated at one end .ofthe ma-`` chine, containing a plurality'of yarnstrands 'i adapted to be supplied 3o individual windingheads, and'spreaders carried by themachine frame fordividing the-yarnstrands intogroups, separating the strands and leading them to their Vrespective-Winding heads." m .Y

A7. In a Winding'machine,a plurality of Winding heads, acommon-'vertically vdisposed spool containing a plurality, of yarnstrands adaptedto be suppliedto individual Winding heads, an automaticbrake for the spool to prevent the spool from, running ahead when themachine isA in operation,

and amanually operated brakeV for the spool to prevent the yarn strandsfrom sagging as the machine is being stopped. S. `In a Winding machine,a plurality of Winding heads located along opposite sides of themachine, a common vertically disposed spool located at one end of themachine, containing a plurality of yarn strands adapted to be suppliedto individual Winding heads, an automatic brake for the spool to preventthe spool from running ahead When the Amachine is in operation, and amanually operated brake for the spool to prevent theyarn strands fromsagging as the machine is being stopped.

9. In a Winding machine, a plurality of Winding heads, a commonlvertically disd posed spoolcontaining a plurality of yarn Windingheads, an automatic brake for fricvtionally engaging the side of thespool to prevent the spool from running ahead when the machine is inoperation, and a vmanually operated brake arranged in 'position to bebrought into frictional engagement With one end of the spool to preventthe yarn strands from sagging` as the machine f is being stopped.

lstrands adapted to be supplied to individuai.

ilo

the machine is in operation, and a manun ally operated brake arranged inposition to be brought into frictional engagement with one end of thespool to prevent the yarn strands from sagging as the machine l is beingstopped.

-ll. In a Winding machine, thel Winding heads, a vertically disposedyarn supply spool therefor and means for removably mounting the spool,comprising a spool shaft, a suitable base, a base bearing thereon forthelower end of the spool shaft, an upright, and a vertically movablelaterally swinging arm thereon provided'vvith a top bearing forremovably engaging the v upper endV of the shaft.

l2. In a Winding machine, the Winding heads, a vertically disposed yarnsupply spool therefor, an lautomatic brake for frictionally engaging thespool and a manually operated brake arranged in position to be broughtinto frictional engagement With the spool, and means for removablymounting the spool, comprising a spool shaft, a suitable base and itsuprightr provided With bearings for said shaft, said upright forming asupport for the automatic and manually operated brakes.

13 In a Winding machine, the Winding heads, a vertically disposed yarnsupply spool therefor, an automatic brake for frictionally engaging thespool and a manually operated brake arranged in position to be broughtinto frictional engagement With the spool, and means for removablymounting the spool, comprising a spool shaft, a suitable base and itsupright provided with bearings for said shaft, said upright forming asupport for the automatic and manually operated brakes, said brakesbeing movable into and out of their operative positions Y v Intestimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed myname this 25th, day'of June, 1924.

JOHN o( MCKEAN.

